July 21st, 2025

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Two More Days Friends”

Chapters
00:00 - Rocking with the wah - Mick Ronson style
01:23 - Mick Ronson wah / Brett Papa course
02:44 - Boss BP-1w Booster / Preamp / Thanks for many gifts
04:03 - '65 Gibson Firebird / Controls and layout
06:50 - Lesson: Tom Morello boing
08:08 - Lesson: Coolest note in E (Bb)


Notes
my dear friends and fellow rock and roll enthusiasts, these next two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) are the last two days to get my instructional course at the discounted $199.00 price tag..after that it goes up to the original list price of 299.00
https://www.brettpapa.com/maximum-lar...

Here is the link for the new t shirts kids...
https://dvg-inc.shoplightspeed.com/to...


Also special thanks to:
Greg for the cool Cleveland mug
Chris for the tiny amp built into an Altoids box
Pete Thomas for the Larry’s hair putty

You guys are all sweethearts for being thoughtful enough to send gifts ...i appreciate it

and....i may have found just the thing to cover that nasty route on that chopper 68 Telecaster bass i got recently ...an original 70's Hunter Ronson tour sticker

looks a hell of a lot better with a cool pickguard don't it?

Todays rig
65 Gibson firebird I
Gretsch 6161 combo amp made by Valco

November 1st, 2023

Homeskoolin' Volume 251, Tom Bukovac, "Halloween Candy Hangover"

Chapters
00:00 - Some straight off the press raunch
03:47 - Hello, friends! / Halloween hangover
04:15 - Firebird is back / Amazing intonation
05:40 - Intonation and bending out of tune
06:08 - Lesson: Ziggy Stardust intro out of tune (YouTube)
06:48 - Firebird I description sheet
08:15 - Halloween adventures
08:45 - Gig at 1979 studio
09:03 - Shootout Firebird I vs Firebird V
10:00 - '63 Firebird V
10:58 - Differences Firebird I vs Firebird V
11:35 - Try again
12:00 - 250 episodes of Homeskoolin'
12:47 - Firebird I
13:33 - Acoustic test / Firebird I
13:55 - Firebird V acoustic / 0.5 as loud
14:22 - Firebird I loud test / Why the difference in loudness
15:00 - VCB / Favorite song from The Cure - Facination Street / Sppreciation
15:39 - Kirk Hammett respect
16:12 - Lesson: Genesis - Turn It On Again
17:44 - More vocals / Mick Ronson - Soul Love
18:58 - Rather be in a band? / Getting bored
20:15 - 80's documentary, Husker Du, Bob Mould


Notes
A little wednesday morning blooze for ya on two different '63 birds.

Very special thanks to dearest Lin Crowson at Gruhn Guitars for breathing some new life into this wounded old bird.

Dig this great old 90's power pop....getting guitars THIS loud in a mix where they don't hurt at all is no easy feat. Brilliant track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsJkN_ODUPM

go to www.ziggysartstudio if you want to check out one of the rad limited edition prints he drew up to commemorate episode 250

and...we are getting damn close to 90K prescribers....wow

and i think there are a couple hundred vinyl copies of Plexi soul still left...if you want one go to either of these two links folks

https://thesessionman.myshopify.com/

https://thesessionman.com/

a LOT of new viewers have recently asked "where is the tip jar?" when they felt led to contribute something after 248 free guitar lessons

You can make PayPal donations to this address:
tombukovac@gmail.com

You can make Venmo donations to this address:
@Tom-Bukovac-1


AND...you can purchase a myriad of Homeskoolin' related merchandise..including several different T-shirts and some beautifully constructed coffee mugs for those afflicted with thin lips...
https://dvg-inc.shoplightspeed.com/merch/tom-bukovac/

AND....believe it or not....i have a new website people....an actual proper website.
https://thesessionman.com

You can see all kinds of weird old photos there, you can also purchase a download of the live concert i did last December if you like.

A lot of these very same new viewers don't seem to know that Uncle Larry made a couple records that they could potentially listen to... one is an instrumental solo record called "Plexi Soul" that is available here:
https://tombukovac.bandcamp.com/album/plexi-soul

another is an instrumental collaboration with his dear friend Dean Deleo (originally from the Stone Temple Pilots organization) that is available here:
https://tripthewitch.bandcamp.com/album/trip-the-witch

August 29th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Monday Night Cool Lyrics Party”

Chapters
00:00 - Ian Hunter - Irene Wilde
04:38 - Hello, class! / Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Irene Wilde discussion
05:32 - Lesson: Mick Ronson licks
06:41 - Lesson: B-section
07:06 - Lesson: Bridge
07:55 - Lesson: Solo appreciation


Notes
A look at one of my alltime favorite tunes. “Irene Wilde” by Ian Hunter off the 1980 live album “Welcome To The Club” featuring the genius lyrics of Ian Hunter and the absolutely perfect guitar playing of Mick Ronson.

If this video gets pulled for copyright reasons i totally get it…my only intentions are to turn you Homeskoolers on to a cool old song they may not have heard. "When I was just sixteen - I stood waiting for a dream - At barker street bus station every night When I tried to get it on - she just looked at me with scorn - my courage Turned to fear and I took flight

For those looks they seemed to say You ain't nuthin' - go away You're just some face in some crowd so I walked home and I vowed I'm gonna be somebody - someday

Her name was irene wilde - oh such beauty for a child When she started dating boys - I nearly died For I could not barely stand seeing anyone hold her hand I though I had to crawl away and hide In my mother's Sunday room I composed so many tunes They were all the same - just a frame - for her name, and just to say I'm gonna be somebody - someday

Wild as your name I soon left that country town I been around, I've seen some fame, seen some ups and I seen some downs Smile through your shock as you hear your name out loud It's that face in the crowd - i didn't dig it - i'm much too proud...

When I was just sixteen I stood waiting for a dream A barker street bus station non affair At the time it seemed so sad, but it didn't turn out bad If she hadn't turned me down I'd still be there You know I think most folks agree, a little put-down makes them see They ain't no chain - they're just a link and that's why she made me think I'm gonna be somebody - be somebody - be somebody - someday"

May 10th, 2020

Homeskoolin’ Volume 25, Tom Bukovac, “City To City”

Chapters
00:00 - Baker Street intro
00:42 - Welcome
03:57 - Viewer Comment Bin / Doing your homework?
05:39 - Who are the Greats?
09:20 - Underrated players
12:33 - Magic Man lesson


Notes
A brief look at the genius of music of days long gone... t shirts available at guitarhouse.net if you like the show, PayPal tip jar: tombukovac@gmail.com

March 23rd, 2020

Corona Lessons volume 4, Tom Bukovac,...Mick "Ronno" Ronson, Ian Hunter

Chapters
00:00 - Intro to Mick Ronson
01:14 - One of the greatest solos (Ian Hunter - Cleveland Rocks)
02:12 - Lesson: Playing solo


Notes
Hello everybody....today's lesson takes us back to pre-virus times....Kingston Upon Hull, Ipswich, Suffolk, Surrey, Ditton on the Thames, Charing Cross Road....the glam rock era of the 70's, back when songs had actual chord changes....and furthermore.... This one goes out to my dear friends Eliot and Tobin.... technical notes: 1) if you wanna play along you gotta tune down a half step 2) the amp I've been using on all these videos is something you can purchase for 80 dollars...an old Roland Micro Cube (but you gotta get one of the "good" ones between serial number XZFFHZBY009988874532787996 and XZFHZBY9999900000007865554329986)

it amuses me to no end when people try to judge and compare "guitar tone" by listening to iPhone recordings

Stay well everybody...try to stay sane